Brick and tile machine



A No. 276,549.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. ANDERSON.

BRICK AND TILE MACHINE. I

Patented May 1.1883.

N. Pmmac-mum Wanhlngmn, D C. 1

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. G. ANDERSON. BRIGK AND TILE MACHINE.

Patented May 1, 1883.

if (NoM odelJ 1 4Sheets -Sheet3. J. O. ANDERSON.

BRICK AND TILE MACHINE.

No. 276,549. I Patented May 1,1883.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-$116M; 4.

J. G. ANDERSON.

BRICK AND TILE MACHINE.

No. 276,549. Patented May 1,1883.

A Maggi/.9." Jwve/w Zm-..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. ANDERSODBOF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

BRICK AND TILE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,549, dated May 1, 1883.

Application filed February 19, 1883.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'JAMES G. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Brick and Tile tion of the machine, showing theplungers view of the operating-cams, .view of the same. I Fig. 6 is a sectional rear withdrawn from the brick. Fig.4 isaside Fig. is a front view of the lower portion of themachine, showing the bearings and toggle-leverof the lower plunger. Fig. 7 is a view in perspective ofthe main driving-shaft and cams for moving the operating parts, as will more fully hereinafter .appe'ar. Fig.8 is a front elevation of a completed machine as ready for operation.

My present invention is designed as an improvement in certain operating parts of the machine which was patented to me March 11, 1879, No. 211,085, and relatesmore particularly to the mechanism for producing an under pressure upon the brick, and to mechanism for discharging or forcing the finished l I bricks out of the molds.

In describing my present invention I shall refer to such parts only of the patented machine as are necessary to give a correct understanding of the present invention, the moldwheel and devices for operating the same, the

, for operating the machine, being in all essentials the same as in the patent above referred to.

A indicate two castings, secured together at a suitable distance apart by means of screwbolts, and mounted on a suitable foundation.

The castings AA form the main frame of the machine, in which the driving'shafts and other operating parts are mounted, and upon which the superstructure of themachine is built.

a. is a stirrup or bed, formed of a steel casting, firmly secured in the lower portion of the [No model.)

| frame or castings A A by means of logs a,

which have their bearing upon corresponding shoulders or offsets, a formed in the frame or castings A A, the office of which is to provide a fulcrum or firm bearing for the toggle-levers, which operate the lower plunger.

A is the lower pressure-plunger, which is free to work in ways formed in the casting A whichis firmly secured to the side castings or fra'me,'A A, by means of lugs or bolts 1) b.

The lower end of the plunger A is pivotally secured to the member I) of the toggle-lever B, while the other member, I), of the toggle is seated in bearingsformed inthe stirrup or bed a by means of lugs cast on the arm or member 11 which are seated in cavities or boxes'formed for that purpose in the stirrup a. The central portion of the toggle-lever is connected to the rock-shaft B by means of the arms 0 c, the rock-shaft Bbein g seated in bearing in the frame of the machine and operated by mechanism, to be hereinafter described, so as to give to the plunger a reciprocating motion in a vertical direction. The position of the plunger A is in a central vertical line above the axis of the arm I) of the toggle-lever and centrally to the moldravities of the moldwheelO, which brings this plunger immediately under one of the lower die-matrices when the mold-disk is at rest.

0' is a brackebcastin g secured to the frame or castings A A, to the upper end of which is secured a plate, which projects over the edge of the mold-wheel and prevents the upward thrust of the lower plunger from raising the mold-wheel. I

D is a rocking arm or bar, of heavy steel, rigidly secured to the one end of the rockshaft B, the ends of which are recessed to provide seats for the longitudinally-sliding boxes h. Said boxes, by their motion in the recesses, compensate for the diverging lines of motion, between the vertical thrust of its actuating'arin or bar H at the one end and'the vertical course of the ejecting-plunger D at the other end, said ejecting-plunger being guided and steadied to its work in a vertical direction only in ways or guided in bracketcasting D The studs 61 .d of the sliding boxes h in the rocking arm D are firmly. secured to the connecting-rod or arm H and work freelyin the boxes. The vertical arm or leration must be completed and the several connecting-rod is provided at its upper end with shoulders, which form beds or seats for the gibs a n and also with a vertically-elongated slot, 0, into which is fitted a sliding box, through which box the main driving-shaft E passes, and by which means the connectingrod or arm H is held firmly in its vertical posion'and admits of a proper vertical motion being imparted to it by means of a cam or cams secured to the main driving-shaft E. The lower end of the connectingrod H is guided in ways formed in the casting or bracket E.

F is a brace-rod, the upper end of which is secured by a proper journal-box to this main driving-shaft E. The lower end of the bracerod is bifurcated, one arm of which is secured to the rock-shaft B, while the outer arm is secured to the frame-work of the machine. The office of this brace rod is to sustain part of the divergent strain on the main drivingshaft which arises from the force exerted to work the lower plunger,'and also the ejectingplunger, through the medium of the connect- I ing-rod H.

The main driving-shaft E and cam F, for operating the upper plunger, are essentially the same in construction and movement as described in my patent above referred to, except as to the cams G G of this shaft, which are the operating-cams of the new or improved mechanism.

The top and bottom gibs, n, are secured to the shoulders of the connecting-rod H at a distance apart equal to the largest diameter of the cam G, forming a housing for this and bringing the gibs in working proximity to the top and bottom face of the cam, maintaining such proximity to the lower gib during the full revolutions of the cam and to the top gib for that part of the peripheral outline of this cam which coincides with the peripheral outline of the cam G while the cam G having a bearing only against the top gib, n maintains such bearing or contact with this gi-b during its entire revolutions.

By reference to the patent named it will be seen that the upper plunger automaton or set of movements are positive in their nature, being induced or impelled by asingle cam, such cam being spanned by a housing and of such peripheral outline as to admit of a continuous working-bearing againstboth the top and bottom gibs.

In operating the peculiar automaton requisite in the new part for giving the under pressure and ejecting the brick from the molds in conjunction and time with the upper plunger movement, this method could not be'adopted in the new part, as the cam for this part must be considerably elongated to actuate and complete its movements in the proper time with the top plunger, as evidenced by the fact that the top plunger is made to descend well in advance of the arm or connecting-rod H of the new movement, while the full molding opplungers withdrawn to clear the mold-disk at the same time. I have therefore provided in connection with this cam the cam G having a peripheral outline contorted to represent the exact vertical movement of the arm H. This cam, being provided with a top gib-bearing only, serves practically as a lifting and holding cam to the arm, while the cam G imparts the downward thrust to the arm H for exerting the pressure. By this method a positive and powerful intermittent vertical motion is given to the arm H, by which a rocking motion is imparted to the arm D to eject the newly-formed brick, and also to the rockshaft B, by which the under pressure is operated. This motion,being actuated bythe main shaft and conveyed direct to the rock-shaft by means of the connecting-rod or arm H, is practically free from lag or backlash, and insures uniform and, perfect movement to all the parts.

mold-cavities f by the impelling force of the cam F. The arm or connecting-rod H is not allowed,however, to descend to operate the ejecting or the under pressure plunger until the upper plunger or die has entered well into the mold-- box and the claypowder therein is pressed to a considerable degree of hardness, so that the pressure thus exerted may counterbalance as much as possible the upward thrust of the brickejecting plunger. The under pressure-plunger, A, must be operated against the movable bottom f of the mold at a point when the up per plunger has commenced its second descent, it being understood, however, that at this point the upper plunger has first descended to within one-fourth of an inch of its full throw, then receded three-sixteenths of an inch to allow the air to escape from the molds, then again to be depressed one-fourth of an inch, when the lower pressure-plunger is brought into play against the die f,- and in order to compensate for this latter time of contact between the ejecting and the under plunger pro pelled at the same time, the plunger A is allowed to travel through a space, g, before coming in contact with the movable bottom f of the mold. During this period of contact the movable bottom is forced upward about fivesixteenths of an inch, completing in the one operation its full upward movement, after which movements both the upper and lower plungers remain at rest for a short period of time. By thus holding the pressure upon the mass for a time a more effectual bond takes place between the several atoms of the clay powder, and a portion of the remaining air compressed in the last-described movement is allowed to force its wayout of the molds.v

The main portion of my machine I prefer to make of steel castings, so that it will bear the heavy strain put upon it in operation, while the gibs and the portions of the machine a variable pressure on the clay, an under plunger adapted to exert a uniform pressure on the movable bottom of the mold, and means, substantially such as described, for operating the plungers.

2. The combination of an upper and lower plunger or die movement, substantially such as described, for removing the atmospheric air in the operation of molding the brick or tile and holding the pressure on the same for a time for cementing and fixing the bond.

3. Ina brick-machine, the upper .pressingplunger and main operating-shaft, provided with the cams, as set forth, in combination with the connecting-rod H, rooking lever D,

and ejecting-plunger D.

4. In a brick-machine, the upper pressing plunger and main-operating shaft, provided with cams, as set forth, in combination with the rocking lever D, rock-shaft B, arms a c, toggle-lever B, and plunger A.

5. The combination of the cams G G gibs a M, with the arm H, and pivoted bar D, whereby an intermittent reciprocating motion is imparted to the lower pressure-plunger and to the ejecting-plunger, as set forth.

6. The combination of the stirrup or hearing a, membersor links 1) b and plunger A with the arms or links cc and rock-shaft B, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The main driving-shaft E, provided with the cam G, in combinationwith the connecting-bar H, provided with the gibs n and slot 0, and the rocking lever D, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The bracket 0 and cap C secured thereto and projecting over the edge of the moldwheel,whereby the mold-wheel is steadied and held in place during the action of the under pressure 'ilunger.

9. The driving-shaft E, provided with the cams F G, in combination with the upper plunger, the connecting-rod or arm H, and the rocking arm D.

. J." G. ANDERSON. Witnesses:

MAUD SUMMERS,

LI'LLIE E. ANDERSON. 

